Reverie or Reality
by ABitOHoney
Summary: It’s a dark night in Konoha, and Sakura chooses to make the trek home alone. Along her venture she finds herself visited by someone unexpected. Is the night just a dream, or is it reality? Oneshot.


_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto._

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**Reverie or Reality**

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The street lights turned on as the night crept up on the village of Konoha. Noticing the time, Sakura promptly paid the ramen-shop owner and ducked under the curtains of the shop as she stepped out into the street. She turned and waited as Naruto soon followed with an enthusiastic smile on his face.

Naruto rubbed his full belly as he stated loudly, "That was great ramen!"

Sakura rolled her eyes as she heard the obnoxious echo of Naruto's simple-minded statement.

"Want me to walk you home Sakura?" Naruto offered as he stood beside her with a cheesy smile on his young face.

Sakura shook her head. "No thanks. I'd like to have some time to think."

Naruto's expression dropped as he replied glumly, "OK." He kicked his feet in the loose gravel of the road, his head hung in defeat.

"We'll do this again tomorrow," Sakura offered, hoping to cheer up her moping friend.

Naruto's smile quickly returned and he nodded. "OK Sakura!"

Sakura smiled softly as she waved goodbye to Naruto and headed off in the opposite direction.

While walking along the outskirts of Konoha, Sakura felt the sudden presence of a being, a being that seemed to be watching her a little too intently. As she strained to see through the dark forest at her side, she cursed herself for not only refusing Naruto's company, but also for not taking the long route through the well lit streets. Not even the light of the moon shone through the thicket of tall trees, leaving only her paranoid mind to decide what lie within the darkness.

_Keep your cool girl! There's nothing out there to be fearful of! Even if there is somebody or something out there, you're Tsunade's student! You'll pound them into the ground!_

Try as she might, Sakura's inner words of assurance were no match against the rapidly approaching sounds of twigs breaking and leaves rustling. As if out of nowhere, a gust of wind burst from behind her, nearly knocking her over.

After regaining her composure, Sakura raised shaky hands, pushing her tousled hair back behind her ears. Wondering if perhaps a storm was rolling in, she glanced into the sky just as the cloud cover swept across the sky, shielding any last remnant of moonlight from lighting her path. Suddenly, the air grew eerily cold, sending a chill down her spine.

Something rustled on the gravel road just behind Sakura. She spun around, raising her hands defensively, only to find an empty road before her.

"Naruto! This is **not** funny! You're not scaring me!" Sakura's voice wavered slightly despite her attempt to remain composed. From the corner of her eye she spotted a small figure scuttle into the woods. A smile formed on her face as she released a deep sigh. "It's just an animal."

Just as Sakura turned to continue her venture home, she felt an icy hand firmly grasp her arm. She released a frightened howl as she was violently pulled into the shadows of the forest. Her scream was quickly diminished as another chilling hand covered her mouth.

"Put me down!" Sakura shrilled as she was slung haphazardly over her captor's shoulder.

"If you wish to remain unharmed, I suggest you keep quiet."

The captor's voice was deep and raspy, almost hauntingly low, and yet strangely familiar. Sakura ceased her screaming, knowing it would do her no good anyway. Her heart raced as she was carried deeper into the forest, to a point that she assumed her captor felt was out of hearing distance of the Konoha villagers.

"What do you want with me!" Sakura cried out almost pathetically. As her pupils began to adjust to the darkness, she spotted something odd about the man's attire. Around his waist was a thickly woven rope, tied in a knot at the back. She strained her eyes, fighting to make sense of what she saw. It seemed vaguely familiar. She was certain she had seen it somewhere. The tension was overwhelming her.

"Put me down! Who are you?" Sakura hollered as she began pounding her fists relentlessly into her captor's back. She was put down, but not the way she had anticipated.

Sakura howled in pain and surprise as she was thrown against the trunk of a tree. Chunks of bark shattered at the force of her back. Cold hands grasped her shoulders, holding her in place. Chills ran down her spine as her captor brought his face close to hers, his icy breath sweeping across her ear and neck. She waited silently, awaiting an explanation, any words, that would indicate to her his intentions or his identity.

"Sakura," the whispered word rolled of the attacker's tongue as if spoken by a snake.

Sakura attempted to shift under the powerful hold of the man, only to receive a much more violent thrust against the crumbling tree. She gasped, air rushing from her lungs as the man pressed his body violently against hers.

"Sakura," he whispered her name again, his voice echoing in her head as she tried desperately to put a face to the familiar voice. "I've come to give you something."

Without realizing it, Sakura held her breath. The familiarities of her captor finally registered.

"Sasuke?" Sakura released her breath as she whispered the name.

"It's been a long time, Sakura." Sasuke's lips brushed against Sakura's ear as he spoke in a husky whisper. "How long has it been exactly? Hmm..." His hum sent more chills down Sakura's spine. "Two years? Three years?"

Sakura blinked several times, attempting to comprehend the situation more so than the question itself. She froze suddenly, paralyzed, as she felt Sasuke's teeth gently bite at her earlobe. A deep musky smell filled her nostrils as Sasuke's hair fell against her face. Her senses nearly exploded; the smell and the touch intoxicating.

"Sasuke, why are you doing this?" Sakura whispered, her voice shaking as she trembled beneath the pressure of Sasuke's body.

"I thought this was what you wanted. I thought you always wanted me." Sasuke's voice was deep and lustful. He buried his nose into her soft locks, taking in a deep breath before returning his lips to her ear.

"Not... not like this," Sakura whimpered.

"Hnn..." Sasuke released a throaty chuckle. "Then why are you trembling? I think this is exactly what you want."

Before Sakura knew it, a hand had wrapped around the nape of her neck, forcing her head to fall back as Sasuke brought his cold lips to the exposed skin of her neck. Her head began to spin, her blood growing hot. As her senses heightened to an overwhelming proportion, she allowed her heavy lids to close, and concentrated only on breathing as she felt Sasuke pull down one of her sleeves to expose her shoulder to the crisp cool air.

Sharp canines slid down Sakura's neck, the feel of his fangs grazing her skin sent her nearly over the edge. She released a heated breath as the teeth came to rest just before reaching her bare shoulder. Swiftly and unexpectedly, the teeth sank deep into her neck.

"Sasuke..." Sakura moaned his name before falling into stillness, darkness, unconsciousness.

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Sakura groaned as her eyes slowly fluttered open, finding herself in the darkness of her bedroom. As she sat up, she realized that she had been lying in her bed.

_It was just a dream?_

Sakura sighed, rather relieved to discover that she had only dreamt the event with Sasuke. But as she turned her head to gaze at her clock, she felt a sharp pain in the side of her neck. She gasped, the pain taking her by surprise.

_It was a dream, wasn't it?_

Sakura slowly stood at the side of her bed, pulling off the sheet and wrapping it around her naked body. After turning on her bedside lamp, she cautiously made her way towards her bathroom to inspect the source of the throbbing pain. As she entered the bathroom, her hand ever so slowly reached for the light switch, apprehension getting the best of her.

With a flick of the switch, Sakura found herself staring at the horrified reflection of herself, two dark red marks on the left side of her neck. She released her hold on the sheet, allowing it to fall into a soft pile at her feet. Her eyes were agape as she continued to stare in horror at her reflection, trying to make sense of it all.

_So it was real. Sasuke was there... and he brought me here._

Sakura spun around, half expecting Sasuke to be standing behind her. But she only found her dimly lit bedroom, with everything as she had left it, and no other inhabitants.

"Sasuke?" Sakura called out meekly, terror taking her voice. "Sasuke? Are you out there?" She forced herself to kneel down, picking up the bed sheet and wrapping herself in it once again, but without once removing her eyes from the room before her. A lump formed in her throat as the situation at hand became clear.

_He... he took me here... and stripped me down? He must still be here._

Fearfully, Sakura made her way slowly through her apartment, checking every possible hiding location, though she knew not what she would do if she did come across anyone. It did not take her long to search the small apartment, and once convinced she was alone, she made her way back to her bed.

Sakura lay back in her bed, but remained fully awake, with her bedside lamp still lit. She gazed at the ceiling, trying to recall the events, trying to remember anything after the incident in the forest. Her head grew cloudy, drowsiness entering her and threatening to take over. The pain in her neck slowly subsided, and her lids grew heavy again. She reached out a hand, flicking off her lamp, leaving herself in darkness once again.

_It had to have been a dream. I must still be dreaming._

Just as Sakura was about to fall asleep, she felt a sudden looming presence above her. Her eyes shot wide open as her bed shifted and something heavy pressed at either side of her waist. She could see nothing in the darkness, but there was no need for visual explanations. The sounds and feelings were enough.

The figure looming over her pressed icy cold hands against her bare shoulders as he whispered, "I'm not through with you yet, Sakura."


End file.
